Circles of Time
by ShiraStrike
Summary: Marriage Law with a twist. I love twists, they are like chocolate sprinkles on ice cream. Anyway, thanks to a potion gone wrong the children of Snape and Hermione go back to the past. The problem? The Marriage Law just kicked in and their parents married only 3 months ago and they hate each other. First time author! Rated M for future chapters. Language, adult themes and violence!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

Severus Snape finished grading papers with an inner sigh. Those silly dunderheads were getting dumber every year and made him wonder why bother teaching them at all. But then, he needed the money. 'Now more than ever' he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose.

After almost two months of marriage and unprotected sex once a week he couldn't say he was surprised. But then again, he never thought that he would ever get caught in this situation, especially with a woman he did not love and who couldn't love him in return either. Yet, his wife had their suspicions confirmed by the mediwitch in charge of her case that morning that she was indeed with child.

And Snape still could barely get his mind around the fact that he was married. To a woman much younger than himself. A former student for crying out loud! Even with all her accomplishments and brilliance, to his eyes Hermione Granger was still the bushy haired little girl who made little jumps in her chair whenever she knew the answer to the question he made. Sure, there were times when he forgot that and saw her as the war hero she was, brave and strong-minded and couldn't help but to watch in awe as to how puberty had done its magic with her, filling her in all the right places and softening her face features. If there was one thing he could not deny, was that his wife was very pretty.

'_And yet, she was still a child, even if she was 19'_ he thought as he sat back on his chair_. '19 years old, and fought countless dangers, faced death more times in the past year than most people in their lifetime (even two lifetimes), suffered tortures and deaths of many friends and schoolmates and helped to bring down one of the greatest villains in British history. Not that won her especial treatment from the Ministry, only a medal and a thank you bonus in cash'._

One would think that being one-third of the Golden Trio would grant her some benefits, but when the time that the Marriage Law came into effect, Miss Granger was forced to it just like any other muggleborn between the ages of 18 and 45.

"And to me of all people" he grumbled to himself. As if he needed the constant reminder that he owed his life to her.

'_Damned her intrusiveness! She should have just let me die in that bloody shack'_ he thought angrily. But she was Hermione Granger and she couldn't leave someone to die if she could help it, even if he deserved it. And deserve it he did. After all the things he had done, it was right for him to die; agonizing in pain and slowly watching his life bleed out. He even longed for it, an ending to all the sorrow and misery that had been his existence.

However, the former Miss Granger had had the excellent idea of foreseeing that the snakes bite might be a danger and she gave him the antidote just in time to save his life. Sure thing, he saved her life many more times in the battle itself, since as soon as he was able to walk he stayed with her and Weasley, who barely understood why she had even aided him at all. The girl was exhausted during the fight and that messed with her senses, making her more vulnerable to attacks (plus, the ginger troll-headed buffoon wasn't helping). He, on the other hand, healed almost miraculously thanks to her treatment. So much so that thanks to all the Death Eaters he almost single-handedly captured that he almost won some tolerance and acceptance of people who initially hated him.

In his trial Potter brought forth a huge amount of personal papers of Albus Dumbledore, where he explained how Snape had been always acting under his direct command and how without his help the war would have never been won. That cleared him almost on the spot, and he too was given the newly introduced Platinum Merlin Class, award that had been created for the Golden Trio.

But then again, he was also a Pureblood and even with that award and that he was in the top list of most hated men in Britain just a couple of months back, he was also dragged into that stupid law that was supposed to _"unite the muggleborn and pureblood families to create ties of friendship and love so that this won't ever happen again"._ And so, as a statement of the purpose of this law, he was married off to Miss Granger.

No matter how many strings they pulled, between the Order and himself, and how many threats he made to the Winzengamot, their marriage was the first one. He was married to Miss Granger on the 14th of July, barely two months after the war had ended. And with only a fortnight of knowing they had been paired up. And with her still in the hospital being treated for extreme dehydration and exhaustion until a week before the wedding.

And now, September 3rd , his wife, a woman he scarcely knew, was pregnant with his child. A woman whom he rarely spoke more than a "good morning" and "good night" each day. Not that he was purposely avoiding her, mind you. He just felt… like a pervert around her. Knowing how he had gotten hard by seeing her naked figure, a former student. He knew that they were magic bound to have sex at least once a week, yet the way she laid motionless as he moved inside her, as if her mind was far off in a sunny place, made him feel like a rapist.

Worst of all, he couldn't help it.

Because there was no way he could ever talk to his wife about it. And even if he wanted to, he couldn't. After years of relying of his abilities to hide his emotions deep within him and to conceal any thought of feeling that he had forgotten how to even go about it. How to express his worries and his thoughts other than the information he found by spying.

And there was another matter, even worse than the sex. He had known Hermione Granger to be a bookworm, but he also knew her to be a socially active girl who smiled and laughed with her friends. Now, he knew that she wasn't being held captive in their rooms in Hogwarts (and he knew that she knew that), so it couldn't be that she felt like a prisoner. And her closest friends, the Weasleys and Potter stood by her proudly at their wedding and he knew she corresponded with them often and even went out with them a few times, so it couldn't be that she was feeling lonely.

But Snape was an observant man, and he knew that Miss Granger was losing weight and getting paler by the day. He knew that she was quieter, more introverted than ever before. He sometimes caught her shaking involuntarily, her hands never seemed to settle somewhere and they were always twitching. And the most awful thing of all: when he was still Headmaster of Hogwarts, he heard a rumour that Potter, Weasley and his wife had been captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. Had it only been for a day before they escaped he had not though much of it, but he knew that the boys had managed to escape with a couple more prisoners and that his wife had been taken in their attempt to get way. For two whole days Miss Granger had been at the mercy of one particularly angry and vicious Bellatrix Lestrange. Thankfully, she was dead now, but Snape knew, to his dismay, that his wife was only beginning to show the real signs of depression and post-traumatic stress. Not to mention that the traces the torture left on her body were grabbing hold of her.

But, how to do something? Whom to tell? She needed help, that much he knew, and he couldn't assist her without remind her that at some point he could have used the same method that Bellatrix used on her on someone else. Also, this being such a personal matter he had to be very careful. His entire instincts told him that Hermione being captured wasn't a coincidence, and how she got out either. There was a traitor's doing there, and Snape was going to find out who he was.

**Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"Hey mom, what's for dinner?" asked a young man in his twenties, hugging his mother from the shoulders.

"You should know better that to ask me that, Alex. Your father is in the library, ask him. Although I believe that Liz is on kitchen duty tonight" she answered her son, without taking her eyes of the book she was reading.

After giving her a noisy kiss on her cheek, Alex climbed the stairs to search for his father in their library in the second floor of their house. He liked that room, it was one of the few quiet places left in the residence, and the whole family was rather proud of their huge collection of books. To normal families the room must have been quite overwhelming, but Alex felt his heart warm up whenever he was there. Like always, the door was closed. He quietly opened it and quickly closed it, as not to break the stillness of the room. Almost like a spell, everyone hushed the moment they stepped foot in the library.

Alex found his father, or rather his father's head, buried deep within a mountain on parchments and opened books. He silently walked to the desk, but making enough sound so his father acknowledge his presence.

"Elizabeth is on kitchen duty tonight, go and ask her" said Alex's father before he even got the chance to speak.

"I think she is working on her potion. She did mention she was going to add some important ingredients. Should I disturb her?" he said and his father looked up from his research.

"Alexander, how old are you?" he asked.

"23. Why do you ask?" he answered, baffled.

"Aren't you old enough to be able to cook a proper meal for your family? There are many recipes in the kitchen and you are smart enough to be able to follow their strict instructions without burning the food… or the house for that matter" explained his father, returning his gaze to his notes.

"I wasn't that good in Potions in school as I recall" said Alex, smiling.

"And yet even the greatest dunderhead I ever taught can feed himself without being that much of a menace to society"

"_That much of a menace_? Is that the best you can come up with, dad? You are going soft old man, soon you won't be able to insult a Ministry worker without sounding like a praise" joked Alexander as he pat his father's shoulder.

"If it ever comes to that it will be your duty to your family to put me in an asylum for good" answered his father, patting his son's hand in return.

"Aye aye sir, keeping the family's reputation, that's my job" he joked, mimicking a soldier's salute and marching out of the room in the same style. He heard his father chuckle behind him as he closed the door.

As soon as he was outside, Alex heard some yelling and crying_. 'Great'_ he thought, _'Gwen and Crissy are at it again. Better go and break them up before they smash something'. _

But he hadn't reached the last step of the stairs when he felt the familiar tingle in his spine that told him that Liz, his twin, was in some danger, or at least, very scared.

He ran to the potions lab they had in the basement of the house where he knew he could find her, but even before he could reach there he saw the smoke coming out of the room.

"LIZ!" he shouted, covering his mouth with his hand, and grabbing his wand with the other. "Where are you?"

"Alex, sound the alarm and get out of here!" responded his twin as she ran along the room with ingredients and vials. "I will try to contain it, but I'm not sure how big an explosion this can make".

Her brother smashed the button of emergency that was next to the door. That alarm would go off in the entire house, but only those older than 15 years could hear it, so their little brothers would not be frightened by the sound.

"How can I help?" he said, walking into the room decidedly.

"Are you crazy? Go, get out of here" said Liz as she used her wand to stabilize the potion. The cauldron she was using had a red liquid fuming with green smoke that made Alex's eyes water. As far as he knew, green smoke meant only a small but not deadly explosion, but then again, it was an experimental potion, so they couldn't really know what could happen.

"Liz, I'm not leaving without you. So either tell me what to do or come with me to safety" he said and Elizabeth sighed with exasperation.

"You pig-headed idiot! Take those ingredients closest to me and put them somewhere far away. The last thing we want is for the contents of my potion spilling and reacting to the other ingredients in the shelf" she told him and he quickly got to work.

"Alex, Liz, are you there? What are you still doing, get out, now!" shouted their father as they heard him climb down the stairs to the basement.

"Dad, we are fine, go with mum, we got this" shouted Alex in return, only to see, to his horror, how the smoke coming out of the cauldron changed color. From green it turned to violet and that only meant one thing…

"Alex get down!" shouted his sister as she tackled him, covering his body with her own.

The last thing he remembered was the sound of a great explosion and the feeling of being sucked into a big hole. And pain, lots of pain running through his entire body. He recalled screaming and then hearing his father shouting his name before he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

Severus Snape had seen many strange things in his life, but never like this. And as his wits snapped back into action after his momentary lapse, he ran to the source of the explosion he had just heard.

It had been a normal nightly round that evening. He had just met Miss Granger in the Library and were on their way to their rooms. 'Mrs. Snape, not Granger' he corrected himself for the thousandth time. That was when they heard it, a bang, too loud to be a prank from a student but too quiet to be a bomb.

They both took their wands out, ready for action, but nothing happened. But when Snape caught sight of a purple fire and haze just outside the castle he ran to the exit. Sensing Hermione was running after him, as soon as they reached the outside door he ordered:

"Stay behind me and in any case of a fight you run and get help"

"I'm not going to leave you behind" she said courageously, but Snape could hear the fear in her voice.

"You will do as I say" he said, sternly and he knew that she would obey.

They walked quickly to the source of the noise, wands at the ready. The school grounds were colder than he thought. It was very dark, the almost full moon was covered by some thick clouds and the wind was blowing strongly.

But when they reached a certain distance they didn't see any signs of destruction. Only two bodies lying in the dirt, with purple smoke around them. They weren't moving.

"Purple smoke?" whispered Hermione "I didn't know that was possible".

"It is. It's just very rare" answered Snape as they got closer. '_Rare and dangerous'_ he thought but kept it to himself. It wouldn't do to scare Hermione more than necessary. "Stay back" he added as they reached them.

Snape quickly scanned the bodies. Both of them were very young, in their twenties. They both had black, straight hair and about the same skin tone, so he figured that they must've been related. But they wore strange clothes. The girl wore dark robes, but Snape couldn't tell what fabric was used. And the boy wore some sort of jeans that became narrow at the knees and ankles and a sweater that seemed too big for him but also became narrow at the elbows and wrists.

Muttering a few enchantments he passed his wand over them, checking their vitals. He felt Hermione trembling behind him, so he said:

"Their vitals seem steady. Better take their wands and take them to Madame Promfey" Snape casted two stretch beds and levitated the bodies on to them.

"Who do you think they are?" asked his wife, looking intently at them.

"I'm not sure, but we will soon find out" he said, moving the beds with his wand.

Alexander's head was spinning. His whole body hurt, especially his wrists and he felt very weak. He tried to open his eyes, but the light in the room was too strong, so he tried to control his thoughts and figure out what was happening. He knew he was resting in a soft mattress with thick blankets over him. But something was off. The smell was wrong. Being a mediwizard student, he recognized the faint smell of medications in the air. '_So I'm in a hospital. Why?'_ he thought '_come on Alex, think, what happened?'_ He started to remember the previous pain before fainting, the screams. But what was the cause? His head began to hurt more acutely. '_Elizabeth's potion!_' he remembered. The cauldron exploded. _'It must have been bigger that I thought if this is a infirmary bed'_ he figured.

He tried to move his hands, but to his shock they were tied to the post. '_So that's why they hurt'_ he thought, but panicking a little. He knew tying patients onto beds was a common practice in St Mungo's for when they thought they were violent or may attempt to escape. '_But why would they think this of me' _he wondered. Most of the nurses and mediwizards in the place knew him ever since he was a boy, so what was it?

'_Perhaps the potion infected me with something' _he thought, freaking out more.

Opening his eyes more slowly this time Alexander quickly checked his body. No third arm, no tail attached the small of his back and no scaly green skin. '_Thank God for small favours _ he thought before observing his surroundings.

He had been right; he was in an infirmary that looked somewhat familiar. The walls were made of stone and the lights were provided by big chandeliers that hanged from the ceiling. He realized that he was alone in the place but for another person on a bed to his right, who he quickly recognized as his sister. She too had her hands tied to her bed, but other than that Alex was relieved to find that she was fine.

To his left he saw a little night stand were the healers had left his medicines. There was some nourishing potions and other like that, but the lack of blood replenishing and bone mending really calmed him down. Looking over to his sister's table he saw that her potions were the same, except one that looked a lot like a salve used for skin burns. Alexander was a little startled, but then he remembered that Liz had used her body to covers his from the explosion, so she was bound to have more injuries than him.

'_That brave little fool'_ he thought smiling to himself while looking tenderly at his sister. He would have done the same for her and he was glad that she was more or less alright.

"Ah, finally one of you is awake" said a woman in a nurse's clothing. She came up to Alex and placed her hand on his forehead. "You fever has gone down" she said "You gave us quite a scare young man".

"I know, I was scared myself. But it happens, with potions. When will the possible side effects show? I do not particularly like having my hands tied" he asked the nurse.

"Side effects of a potion accident? I didn't know that, I would have done more tests! What potions are we talking about?" she asked, quickly taking her wand to examine him further.

"I'm not sure about the potion itself, my sister was experimenting on one. All I know was that at one point there was purple smoke coming out of it and I blacked out" he said, wondering why she didn't know. Hadn't his parent filled in the nurse of what happened?

"Did you say purple smoke?" asked the nurse, looking at him with her eyes wide.

"Yes, and then an explosion. I can't seem to remember what it meant, though" he answered, looking suspiciously at the woman.

"Never you mind dear, you are safe now. And about the security matter, I'll have it sorted with the Headmistress" she said, walking away from him.

"Wait! Headmistress? Where am I?" Alex asked.

"You are in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Didn't you know that?" she answered, looking surprised.

"No madame. I did not" he told her, frowning. '_Hogwarts? But this isn't the schools infirmary' _he thought '_Just what the hell is going on?'_

Sometime after the nurse had gone Alex heard several footsteps and shortly after three people came in to the healing room. The nurse who had just spoken to him, a tall woman in a tartan robe and a man with dark hair and black robes. Both the woman and the man looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't place where he had seen them.

But when they got really close he recognized the woman.

"Minnie?" he asked, looking intently at her, figuring out if it was her indeed. The woman looked shocked to say the least.

"Excuse me? Have we met?" she asked him in a strong Scottish accent.

"Of course we do. Don't you recognize me?" he said, baffled. Minerva McGonagall was his godmother, how could she not know him?

"I believe you are mistaken and would gladly appreciate if you didn't refer to me as informally. I am Minerva McGonagall, headmistress of this school. I'm here to ask you some questions" she said sternly.

"What are you talking about Minnie? Where are my parents? Why am I tied like a criminal?" asked Alex confused and getting a little angry.

"We checked your identity thanks to the evidence that was in your wallet, but it turned out to be false. Your companion didn't have any information on her on who she was. Since I have my students safety to take into consideration, the fact that your don't have any reliable material as to who you are and the suspicious way we found you, I thought it best to have you tied and your wand removed" explained the woman, then added "Now, are you well enough to tell me who you are and how did you get past my securities preventing anyone from aparating within the castle grounds?"

"I'm sorry, but I won't answer any of your questions until I have figured out what is going on here" said Alex, very slowly sitting up on the bed. It made his head spin, but he felt less vulnerable like that.

"You will answer my questions or I will force them out of you" she said, exasperating.

"Alex, not another word" said his sister's voice behind him.

"Liz! Are you alright?" asked Alex, immediately looking at her.

"I feel like a train just passed over me, but other than that I'm fine" she said, making an effort to sit up. The nurse ran to her side.

"Oh darling, there is no need to sit up yet, let me check your vitals" she said waving her wand over her.

"No madame, this takes precedent" she said coarsely. She looked at Alex "If what I think is true, then we are in big trouble, so trust me when I tell you, do not open your mouth again until I say otherwise. From this point on I'll do the talking" she ordered him. Alex knew that look her sister gave him and realized that she wasn't joking.

"Madame, you claimed to be the headmistress of this school" she said to McGonagall. "My brother and I have been involved in a serious potion accident. Following the protocol instated by our government I have to ask you if I may speak with whoever is in charge of potion making in this institution".

The man in the black robes stepped forward.

"That would be me" he said.

"Not a word Alex" said Elizabeth sharply looking at her brother who seemed puzzled and surprised. She turned to the man and said "Sir, I am summoning the protocol for a potion accident class 3 involving purple smoke. Do you know the procedure?"

"Did you just say class 3?" asked the man, appearing rather surprised.

"Yes. Do you know the procedure?" Liz insisted.

"The time is 3 in the morning and the date is September 4th, 1997. And my name is Severus Snape" he answered and the twins gasped.

"1997?" said Liz, closing her eyes to calm down. Alex was trying very hard not to say anything. '_1997? Are you kidding me? Dad, what the hell?_' he wanted to shout out, but kept his word and stayed silent as his sister started asking.

"The spell for light? And the one to open locked doors?"

"Lumos and Alohomora" answered Snape.

"The so called Unforgivables?"

"Crucio, Imperio and Avada Kedavra"

"What's a boggart and how do you get rid of it?"

"It's a creature that likes living in dark places, no one knows what it really looks like because it changes it's form to morph into whatever the person fears the most. To get rid of it you use the spell 'Ridikulus'"

"Excuse? What is this?" asked an angry McGonagall.

"Protocol. Asking questions to rule out memory distortions, amongst other things" answered Liz. "Who is the current Prime Minister?"

"Kingsley Shakebolt" answered Snape.

"And the last war amongst wizards?" asked Liz and there was an uncomfortable silence.

"It finished on the 7th of May of this year. It was against a warlord commonly known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters" answered very gravely Snape.

"And is there a name for the team opposing him as to a particular hero?"

"The Order of the Phoenix. As for a hero, you could say Harry Potter"

"What award did he get?"

"Order of Merlin, Platinum Class"

"Who else got it?"

"Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and himself"

"Congratulations then. Now, as for more ancient history, when was the last goblin rebellion…

They went on for at least 10 more minutes, with Liz asking questions about spells, potions, history and of Hogwarts and Snape answering them. McGonagall and Alex were getting restless and the nurse went back to her office to write her report. When they finally finished, Liz let out a sigh.

"Well, the good news is that we are in the same dimension as before" she blurted and Alex gave a cry and spoke.

"Dimension? Are you kidding me? What's going on sis?"

"Potions accidents class 3 involving purple smoke means there was a break in the magic spectrum. There are many possible outcomes that can occur to whoever was involved in the accident itself. Those can vary from severe trauma, losing his magic completely, time travel and dimension travel. We already checked that you still had your magic, but we had to make sure of the time and place was right" explained Snape.

"In the worst case scenario we could have been dead or sent to another dimension, given the class 3 of our accident. Thankfully, we got the best scenario, which is time travel" said Liz as calmly as she were talking about food.

"Best case scenario? Liz, if we were talking about a year or two it could be, but if this is really 1997 we have travelled back at least 24 years! How is that the best case scenario?" yelled Alex.

Both Snape and McGonagall were astonished at this.

"24 years? Is that even possible?" asked the headmistress in a whisper.

"It was unlikely, but we have just proven it possible. But we are on new ground here, there hasn't been any record of any time travellers going back this amount of time" explained Liz. "Thankfully, we are fine and my hands seem steady enough, so I'll be able to keep on doing potions. With time I'll figure out what happened to the one I was working on, reverse the effects and see a way to get back home again".

"You seem awfully calm" said Snape suspiciously.

"Protocol in these cases says that the travellers should contact their closest family, since they have the most to lose if anything would happen to them. Be that as it may, I must ask you Professor, are you married?" she said, not paying attention to Snape's enquiry.

"What has that go to do with anything?" he said but figured it out and showed her his wedding ring on his hand "Name her". His face was passive and showed no emotion, but the mood of the room was tense enough for everyone to know what was being said.

"My mother, Hermione Granger. My name in Elizabeth Snape and this is my twin, Alexander. You are our father. Or will be, since we haven't been born yet"

* * *

**Thanks for readings! It's along chapter, but I will try to get the next one quickly. **

**Thanks for everyone who subscribed, it meant a lot to me.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

"What happened? Who were they?" Hermione bombed him with question as soon as she left their bedroom that morning.

Snape was having coffee in their kitchen, deep in his thoughts. Last night had been very long and he was sure that that day would be longer still. Hermione came up to sit beside him.

"Why didn't wake me when you came? I asked you too" she said.

"It was very late and I was tired. I didn't want to disturb you" he said, finishing his cup. He knew Hermione wouldn't let it go, but he didn't know how to break it to her. "The Headmistress is still verifying their stories" he merely said.

"But that shouldn't take much to know. What are they saying?"

"Apparently they are twins. Wizards at that"

"But what else?" she asked impatiently.

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to know anything else just yet" he told her.

"Why? Are they Death Eaters?" asked Hermione getting scared.

"No, they are not. It's nothing like that"

"Then? Are they dangerous?"

"Until their identities are confirmed we will treat them as such" said Snape standing up. He knew that a firm statement would be enough to prevent further questioning. But that only made Hermione's suspicion grow.

"What are you not telling me?" she asked, looking intensely at him "I can take it".

Snape studied her for a moment. He knew the girl's never-ending curiosity might drive her to go to the headmistress for answers, or worse, the infirmary. '_No, as much as I would like to protect her from the truth she is more likely to not let this subject drop easily. I can't lie to her either, that would only make things worse if the twin's story does turn out to be true. But how on Merlin's name do I tell her they claim to be our children who happened to time travel back to the past? There is no need to worry her unnecessarily, I can easily get a hair from her form her comb to do the paternity test' _he thought, figuring out what to say. In the end, he chose the truth.

"I will tell you, but only if you promise me you will not go out to look for them until we have certainty that what they say is real" he started to say, knowing his wife would get angry.

"I'm not a child, Snape" she said.

"But you are reckless enough to do it. This is important, we can't be sure who they really are and until then I would prefer it if you didn't go nosing about. Now, can I trust your judgement and know that you will obey me when I say not to go looking for them after? " he said, preparing for his wife's anger, but it never came.

"Why do you keep thinking I will go looking for them?" asked Hermione quietly observing him. She wasn't irritated, just preoccupied, very preoccupied. Suddenly Snape wondered if he should really tell her. He just stared at her until she finally promised with a nod.

"They were involved in a potion mishap. The violet smoke we saw around them last night is proof of that. And out of all the types of potion accidents they could have been involved in, that type is the most dangerous. We ruled out most of the possible outcomes they could face thanks to that accident and ended up with one: time travel" explained Snape, slowly. He needed Hermione to understand the gravity of what he was saying.

"Time travel? But where are they from? More accurately, when?" she asked.

"The future, so they claim" he said. Now came the next bit, the one Snape had been dreading, "we can't be entirely sure of that, but all the evidence leads to it. Apart from the smoke itself, the material of the clothes they use and their wands is not like anything I've ever seen. There is only one thing we can check with absolute assurance, and that is who they declare their parents to be"

Hermione waited impatiently for him to name them, but he didn't.

"Well? Who are they? Do I know them?" she said and he only looked straight into her brown orbs for a few seconds. Hermione's eyes went wide with understanding and her hand immediately flew to protect her womb. "Us?" she said almost in a whisper, "They must be wrong! We only just found out I'm pregnant, how can this be? And _twins?_"

"That's what I will try to prove now. I'm on my way to prepare a paternity test. With one of your hairs and one of mine we can sort out all of this, for better or for worse" he said with his normal teaching voice, trying to calm her, since she started hyperventilating. He failed miserably and continued talking. "In the case that it is true, the protocol instated by the Potion Makers Association says that they have to stay with their closest family since they have the most to lose if anything would happen to them"

That almost brought Hermione to tears. Snape was lost on what to do, female waterworks always vexed him. He tried to reach out to her, to tell her it was alright. He knew how all she wanted was some time at peace to deal with her pregnancy and all her traumas from the war, the last thing she needed was two people older than her claiming to be their offspring.

But just as he moved his hands to grab hers, his spy training kicked in and all the emotion he tried to convey got packed and sent away to a deep corner of his mind where he couldn't reach for it. His face went blank and his eyes showed nothing. And just like every time he wanted to express anything, his own system for hiding his feelings during the war prevented him from being able to express them. Trapped him, allowing the strict and cold persona he had created for this situations to supplant his real personality.

"Now, if your know-it-all tendencies have had enough, I will go and make the potion. You may expect an answer to all of this this afternoon" he said. Not waiting for a reply, he turned around and left, his robes billowing behind him. He didn't stop, not even when he heard a soft sob as the door closed behind him.

'_Well done, can't even bother to calm your wife down even when you know she will have a break down'_ he thought angrily. He would need to work on his communication skills at some point, if he wanted to help the girl. It was heart-breaking to see her so fragile sometimes. Still, it was nice to have seen a little of the old Hermione, making avid questions and not giving up on the answer. But as soon as the first hint of worry came, she couldn't take it, and that was what Snape had been worried about. Hermione couldn't be stressed in any way, and in the case the twins were indeed theirs, he would see to it that they understand it.

'_If they are really Snapes perhaps they know how to make Hermione feel better. They may even know who sold her to the Death Eaters' _he thought as he walked.

Reaching his lab, he began to prepare the ingredients, all the while planning for that uncertain future.

* * *

**Another chapter! Sorry for taking so long and for this one being so short, but fear not! I'll make it up on the next one.**

**Thanks for reading! And thanks for those who review and put this story on their "Story Alert" List. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see that people like my story and want to read more of it. It's a booster for writing like you can't imagine. **

**Have a lovely week!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

"So, how long do you think they will keep us here, Liz?" asked Alex to his sister.

"I don't know. I'm guessing Dad will come with a paternity test to see if we are indeed his sons and then we will see" she answered.

"You really are scared are you?" asked her brother, looking at her.

Elizabeth looked at him. They were twins, but more than that they shared an especial connection, so strong that they could feel what the other was experiencing even if they were far away. Liz knew before Alex came back home from college if he had had a good day or not, and Alex could always read her thoughts on her eyes, even when she had the best poker face on.

"We… didn't come at the best of times. A year after our birth would have been much better. Our parents are not in the best moment"

"That is bothersome, but not enough to scare you. What is _really_ on your mind?"

"I know I promised you that I would work until exhaustion to find a way to get us back home, but I'm afraid of how long would that really take. And we don't have an excessive amount of time. I'm… not sure how it will affect our magic if we are still here on our birth"

"Sister, that's eight months from now. There is still time" he assured her.

"My potion itself takes two months to make. Maybe, if I push it I would take one, but still, it's a lot of time. Especially since all the ingredients were cultivated exclusively under very specific circumstances. And I don't even know how I'm going to pay for all of it. Our parents don't have a lot of money, and they are going to use the bonus for War Heroes given by the government to buy the house".

"Liz, you underestimate yourself. You made a small fortune while being a student in Hogwarts _and_ you are the greatest Potion maker in this century. You broke the school record in the NEWTS for potions in fifth year for Merlin's sake! And besides, I will be with you in every step of the way as your assistant. I can do all sorts of research" he said, smiling at her.

"Nothing ever gets you down, doesn't it, Jack the Destroyer on the seven seas" she said affectionately, using the special nickname he had earned as a boy. "Aren't you the least bit scared?"

"I don't think it has truly sank in yet, the gravity of it all. But at least we are not completely hopeless" he answered, shrugging.

They sat quietly in a companionable silence for a while. Alex stared at something outside the window and Elizabeth kept looking at her nails.

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into this, brother. I truly am" she said in a whisper.

"I know. It wasn't your fault; I was the one who wouldn't leave you when I had the chance. But I'm glad of it, despite everything. At least, we are together. I can't imagine how guilty I would feel had I left you. Or how worried that I wouldn't know if you were alright" he said, looking at her whilst struggling to move his tied up hands to reach for her. She did the same, but they didn't come even close.

"There is one thing that has been bothering me, though" said Alex after a while. He looked as if he was trying to formulate his next words very carefully "you… have always been a responsible witch and I don't believe for a second you could do experiments in our house, with our brothers and sisters so close, without having the outmost precautions. What happened? How did this occur?"

"I've been wondering the same. You are right, I did every single arithmetic equation to see the possible outcomes and I even crosschecked it with muggle algebra and chemistry. I rearranged the lab so that the possibilities of an accident would lower to less than a 2% chance, and even then it would have only been a small explosion. Everything I did was following a strict procedure that even for the Potions Association would be deemed as 'paranoid'. I honestly do not know what could have happened" she said, looking hopeless.

"But we couldn't have been sent here because of a fly dropping into your potion" said Alex "there must be something sister! Something you might have overlooked"

"I would not have done an experimental potion inside the house if I thought that I left any possibilities unchecked. I am clueless" said Liz, rather hopeless.

Alex didn't know what to say. On one hand he believed his sister, but on the other he found it inconceivable that there could be something she didn't know about her own potion. She, to his understanding, even if he didn't know what potion it was, had been working on it for years. How could she miss something as big as this?

"But isn't there any link?" he asked, hoping and praying.

"Yes" she answered after a few seconds that for Alex felt like hours "my potion has a big _time_ essence involved. But not as in a Time Turner class of 'time essence' were you travel, but rather that it has to work for a certain period of time within the calendar. It is a kind of connection, but not as convincing as I would desire it to be".

"It still the best lead we have" said Alex "And of course, we know that back home, father would have seen the purple smoke and put two and two together. They will be working too to get us back"

"It is more likely than we would find the solution first" said Liz "even if they find my notes; there will absolutely no chance they can read it. It's thoroughly encrypted"

"It's mum and dad we are talking about, Liz. Two brilliant minds working on translating it so they can help their sons. I think they can handle your notes" said Alex. He knew that Potion Makers normally encrypted their journals when they were working on something new to prevent someone from stealing their idea.

"It's inscribed in 2 different, made-up coded alphabet and written in 3 diverse languages with no pattern and with some words, granted the most important ones, backwards. They will have more chance to figure out the components of any residue then can scrap of the walls than to be able to read my potion journal" laughed Liz as her brother looked at her with eyes wide open.

"Woman, you have serious trust issues. Why so secretive? Your journal wasn't going to leave the house" said Alex, looking both impressed and suspicious.

"It was nothing illegal, brother, worry not. I was so careful because it's probably the best discovery I will ever do in my lifetime. I needed it to be kept safe" she explained.

"And pray tell, what is the biggest discovery you would do in your lifetime?" asked a voice behind them. The twins had been so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice Snape and Headmistress McGonagall as they came in to the infirmary, holding to vials filled with a green liquid.

"Apparently that you make a habit of listening to other people's conversations. Ready to believe us now?" said Alex.

"Not yet. You will have to drink this first" said Snape, uncorking the vials. The smell was ghastly.

"What on earth is that thing?" asked Alex, barely holding his need for puking.

"Paternity test potion. Just out of the cauldron. You added the pig's tail too soon, Professor; your eagerness is working against you" explained Liz, much to Snape's surprise. "And your willow seeds were a bit too old if I may add"

"Can you really tell that just by looking at it?" asked the Headmistress, astonished. Liz only blinked a few times, incredulous.

"My sister is a genius on potions" explained Alex before Liz had a chance to speak.

"Well, as impressive as it is, we have no other way of telling if your story is true than this" said McGonagall as she took one vial from Snape's hand and walked next to Alex.

"I should probably warn you, brother, it will taste like dirt soaked in lemon juice" said Liz, just before her brother took a sip of the liquid, as McGonagall held it to his mouth.

Almost immediately, Alex made a sour face and he started to glow brightly green. '_God that tastes awful' _he thought as he tried to swallow it.

"Tasted like a squashed bug more like. And now, I'm a green ugly alien" joked Alex as the Headmistress released his hands. Rubbing his wrists he smiled at his sister and then turned to the older woman. "Does she need to take it too? I mean, we _are_ twins"

"So you say" said Snape walking closer to Elizabeth. He held the vial to her mouth and she started to drink. Very quickly, she too started to glow green. Snape quietly released her too.

"I guess that settles it. I will start the preparations so you can live in the Professor's quarters" said McGonagall as she started to leave.

"Wait!" exclaimed Alex, then turned to Snape "Are you alright with this? Is mum? We know this must be a difficult time for you and that you may have many things to discuss. My sister and I can wait here one more day if you would prefer it".

"I will accept that offer" said Snape, who had winced when Alex said 'mum'. "I shall speak to my wife and make accommodations in our rooms to fit you both. But as a warning to you, I'm watching you. Any indications that you are not who you claim to be and you won't live to regret it" he added and then left, his robes billowing behind him.

"Cheery fellow isn't he?" joked Alex after Snape had left the room.

"It's not his fault. He has been through so much" said McGonagall, almost motherly.

"We know his story, Min-Professor" said Liz. "But tell us, though. How is out mother? Hermione Granger? We haven't seen her and I believe she was with Dad-I mean- the Professor when they found us"

McGonagall frowned before she answered. It seemed as if she was thinking her answer.

"As far as I can tell she is fine, but I don't know her all that well. She is doing some extra work for the other teachers here, so she can do her NEWTS in February, so that seems to keep her occupied. But Severus is somewhat over protective of her, so I guess there must be something there that I'm not aware of" she said.

"Right, thank you. One last question though, when is the Hogwarts Ball?" asked Liz.

"The Ball? But I haven't told anyone about that! I meant to do it right after Christmas break" said the older woman.

"Oh, great. Nice timing" said Alex, smiling, but looking at his sister. '_What is she playing at? What are these questions?'_ he thought, but played along.

"Yes, well, I better be off. I will add more rooms for you in Severus' quarters. Good bye" she said, leaving the twins alone.

"Elizabeth? Care to fill me in?" asked Alex.

"Our parents are in a very difficult situation, both personally and as a couple. I don't know how much our interference will disturb the course of history, but I know it will affect with their relationship. I think we will have to do a little matchmaking" explained Liz.

"That sounds like a plan! I like it. Tell me"

"Well…"

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **

**So, on Monday I have to go back to uni (in the Southern Hemisphere it's winter holidays here) so I won't be able to update as often. Can't promise anything other that I won't leave you in cliffhangers! (As a fanfiction reader like you guys I hate it when that happens, seriously, it's a huge disrespect for our mental sanity, so fear not ;) )**

**Well, hope you enjoyed this and see you all next time! Have a good day **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

When Snape reached the door that lead to his personal rooms he sighed. He had taken as long as he could to return, since he dreaded entering there. He knew that he would have to break to his wife the news, even when he himself was barely coping with the idea. '_Yesterday she only was pregnant, today she is not only pregnant but we also have twins' _he thought. '_How can even begin to tell her?'_

He had not even begun to truly meditate on the idea of being a father. With all the things in his head, his lessons to those dunderheads, his irritation at the other people who hated him still, his wife's post-traumatic stress and his own vague thoughts for the future, there was no time to consider fatherhood. But there it was, slamming him in the face, with an upcoming baby and two young people who happen to be his son and daughter. At least the boy seemed good tempered, even if his resemblance towards him was enough to throw him off balance. He was a perfect carbon copy of Snape now that he thought about it, even if his personality was more laid back. The girl on the other hand, looked like any black haired and pale skin woman he had ever met, but her character left much to be desired. Too bossy and sharp-tongued for his taste, and very severe upon those who made questions. '_I wonder what class of Snape she is' _he thought, remembering her analysis on the paternity potion he gave them. '_That level of skill in such a young person is very impressive, I wonder if I taught her that'_.

As passed through the entrance he immediately heard female voices in the room and soon found his wife in the company of the Headmistress. The older woman was sitting in one of the armchairs drinking tea while Hermione sat on the opposite chair, looking very pale. McGonagall was merrily chatting about the twins, not paying attention to the hostess reaction.

'_At least I wasn't the one who told her' _thought Snape as he made himself know by closing the door with vigour. '_Better see the damage first'._

"Ah, Severus, you are back. Where did you go? I thought you would get here before me" said McGonagall.

"I had some things to do. I take it you already told her?" he answered, nodding at his wife.

"Of course! I couldn't start adding more rooms here without Hermione knowing. I told her and she helped me rearrange the place" the Headmistress pointed to a blueprint of who Snape recognized as his own, but three new rooms had been added; two bedrooms and a bathroom in the middle. Snape looked at his right and found a new short corridor that led to the three spaces. Walking there to inspect them, he saw that they had some furniture (a bed, wardrobe, a bedside table and a lamp each) and looked very comfortable.

"Do you approve? I didn't add many more things, I doubt Alex will spend much time in his room and Liz strikes me more of a lab rat sort of girl. Don't worry dear, I think you will like them very much" said the Headmistress as she drank her tea.

"I hope so" said Hermione quietly, looking at her trembling hands.

"Minerva don't you have some papers to sign?" asked Snape, leaving no for doubt that he was asking her to leave. He knew Minerva and he regretted being so rude with her, but he also knew that she had the habit of over-staying her welcome the moment tea was involved. Thankfully Hermione hadn't offered biscuits too, so he hoped the former Transfiguration teacher would get the hint.

"Why, there is no need to be so rude, Severus" she scolded him, but looked at her watch "My, is that the time? I'm afraid he is right, I have to go now. Will I see you two at dinner at lunch in the Great Hall?" she asked as she stood up.

"I don't believe so" answered Snape as he joined them sitting on an armchair.

"Well, don't you two forget to eat something. Remember, Hermione is eating for two now" she said winking. "Oh, I talked to Poppy and she is not very happy that the twins are staying there another night. When will you go and collect them?"

"Before dinner if I must" he said coldly and the Headmistress left after saying a quick goodbye. '_Damned woman. When did she get so cheerful? Must be eating Dumbledore's special lemon drops' _thought Snape.

They stayed silent for a while, both of them not knowing what to say. Hermione's hands were still trembling and she was getting paler. Snape coughed a little and grabbed the teapot to brew himself some tea.

"Is it true then?" said Hermione quietly "We are their… parents?"

Snape looked at her. She seemed so fragile, her eyes watery. He sighed.

"Yes, the test came out positive, for both of us" he said and Hermione covered her face with her hands.

"How can this even be?" she asked.

"I don't know. There isn't any record of any time jumps this far into the past. Apparently they travelled 24 years" he said, looking down. He was very uncomfortable.

"So what are we going to do?" she asked after a few minutes.

"We still have time. They had offered to wait another night in the Infirmary but apparently it's not going to happen."

"Why would they do that?"

"To give us time to talk, I believe" said Snape. '_Talk about what? We haven't even spoken about the baby'._

"That's nice of them" said Hermione and they went back to the awkward silence.

"They will be staying here until we can find a way to send them back, won't they? Can we trust them enough?" she asked.

"I will put tracking wards on their rooms so we will know if they are there and a protective charm on our room, so they won't be able to enter there" he said, standing up and taking his wand out from his pocket and marching up to the door that lead to their bedroom. He quickly enchanted the doors and the bedrooms.

"Thank you" said Hermione quietly. Snape didn't say a word, but he noticed that her hands had stopped trembling a little. '_Interesting. She responds to safety measures' _he thought. He decided to try something else.

"Give me your wedding ring" he ordered, in a voice much harsher than what he had wanted. Hermione looked startled, but obeyed. "I will put a nuptial charm on it; do you know what it does?"

"Yes, it will allow you to know if I'm in danger or hurt" said Hermione.

"And, in places where there are no anti-apparition wards, I can reach you within seconds. Even if not, I will know where you are" he added, casting the enchantment over her ring. Snape kept glancing at his wife, somewhat relieved that she was reacting to his attempts of calming her. Her hands had stopped shaking completely by the time he gave her the ring back.

But even as Hermione contemplated her ring, now restored to its rightful place on her finger, the awkward silence was back in the room. None of them knew what to say until suddenly, a house elf popped out of nowhere, carrying two trays filled with food.

"Master, Mincy brings you your lunch Master" she said animatedly. "Mincy also brought special lunch for Mrs Master that we made really special. All house elves in kitchen wanted to say congratulations to you Mrs Master"

Mincy was a common house elf, small, thin and with a very long nose. But she was one of the most talkative and cheerful elf Snape had ever encountered, so a few days before his wedding, he had asked Minerva to assign Mincy as his house elf, thinking Hermione would appreciate. Thankfully, she was maternal enough to take good care of them both in terms of food. Snape had no doubt that the house elf would be very thorough when it came to prepare special meals for Hermione during the pregnancy.

"Thank you Mincy" said Hermione taking her tray with a smile.

"Yes" said Snape taking his tray from the hands of the elf too.

"Master, there are more rooms Master! Is Master and Mrs Master expecting company?" asked the house elf as she stared at the new doors that Minerva had created in their rooms.

"Yes Mincy. But you cannot ask who they are or repeat anything that you may hear when they are here, do you understand?" ordered Snape severely and Mincy lowered her head and ears and nodded.

"They will be staying with us for a while. Two brothers, a boy and a girl. They are staying now in the Infirmary" said Hermione softly. "Do you happen to know anything about them?"

The house elf's eyes went wide with happiness and she started making little jumps of excitement.

"Oh, yes Mrs Master! Mincy knows Mr Alex and Miss Lizzie! They went to the kitchen a few moments ago. They are very nice people! Oh, Mincy is so happy they will be staying here!" she said smiling enthusiastically.

"What were they doing in the kitchens? I thought they were going to have food brought up to them?" asked Snape.

"Miss Nurse kicked them out of the Infirmary, Master. Mr Alex was hungry and they asked directions for the kitchen. We elves were going to make them lunch but Miss Lizzie asked if she could prepare it. We didn't want to, but she insisted that it calmed her down. She good cooker Master, Mr Alex ate everything she made. They even shared it with us house elves! They are nice wizards Master and Mr Alex is very funny" told Mincy, still smiling.

"Did they talk about anything?" asked Hermione.

"They laughed about being lost at Hogwarts, Mrs Master. And what would they have for lunch. And they were making plans to make big money for a project!" said the house elf.

"Do you remember something about that project?" asked Snape, looking at Hermione. '_What are they planning?' _he thought.

"Yes Master, it was about a potion. They were going to buy books and ingredients and study lots and lots so they could get back to home soon"

"Would they be thinking about how to afford the potion?" asked Hermione looking back at Snape.

"I didn't discuss the money issue with Minerva"

"But why won't they think we could help them?" asked Hermione furrowing her eyebrows. She turned to the house elf and asked "Did they mention anything about their parents?"

"Yes Mrs Master, all the time! They kept saying they didn't want to be a burden. Their mother is with baby too! They said their parents will need to save all the money they could for when the baby comes" said Mincy nodding.

"Thanks Mincy. We'll vanish the trays when we are done" said Hermione. The house elf gave a short bow and vanished with a pop.

"So that's that. I'll go and find them quickly before anyone else sees them" said Snape getting up and walking through the door.

"Wait!" cried Hermione standing up, but as Snape turned to look at her she forgot what to say. She looked to her hands, trying to gather up courage.

"Would you like to come with me?" asked Snape, sensing that was what she wanted. She nodded and passed through the door that he was holding open.

"How on Earth can you eat this much brother!" exclaimed Liz wide-eyed as she stared at her brother "3 lasagne, 2 extra-large family size pizzas and your finishing your third!"

"I call it a healthy appetite. Besides, we haven't eaten anything since yesterday at breakfast, so it's only natural for me to be hungry" said Alex, stuffing another slice into his mouth. "Besides" he added between chews "with this lot cheering me, it feels like I'll disappoint them if I stopped"

He was talking about the dozen house elves that had paused their normal duties to watch in awe as Alex kept eating the pizza. As wide-eyed as his sister, the little creatures stared merrily at the boy, waiting excitedly and in full suspense for him to finish the meal. And when Alex managed to swallow the last bit, all the house elves started jumping and cheering with joy.

"Now" Alex laughed "What's for dessert?"

"This" said Liz, throwing a pink snow ball at him.

It through the boy off-balance, making him fall off his chair. He kept laughing, grabbed a bit of the substance and ate it.

"Strawberry flavoured ice-cream ball? Do you know what this is, sister? This means war" he said and turned to the little creatures that were looking at them smiling excitedly. "Alright, you six with my sister, you six team up me and bring all the ice cream you can find! Let's go people! Let the games begin" he added, throwing another ball that the house elf next to him gave to him.

And it was in the middle of an ice-cream-made-ball-fight in the kitchen with dozens of laughing house elves that Snape and Hermione found Alex and Liz.

* * *

**Hello everybody!**

**First of all, thanks for reading! (let's not break tradition) Second, I'm sorry for taking this long, I thought that well, being the first week and all they would take it easy but apparently not. So, sorry :( **

**Given the amount of stuff I have to read, I should probably warn you not to expect any updates at least till next Saturday (I mean, next week). **

**So, that's that. Again thanks for reading and staying with me, hoped you like it and have a great week! **

**PD: Almost forgot! I should say that English is not my first language, and though I'm trying very hard I can get a few things wrong. The Snape's have 4 children (Alex, Liz, Gwen and Crissy). Sorry if I caused any confusions. Thank you notyetanotheralias for pointing it out!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

"Okay, so I know we didn't get started on the right foot, and the second foot wasn't great either, but honestly you cannot judge people this fast" said Alex as he waited for his sister to come out of the bathroom.

They were back at the Snape's rooms. After a rather embarrassing scene and a scolding look from Snape the fight had ended swiftly and the house elves had quickly cleaned everything and walked away. Since the twins didn't have their wands back yet Snape had to scourgify them so they could come out of the kitchens without raising any alarm.

The walk to the rooms had been awkward at best. Snape was fuming, Hermione looked shocked and tried not to laugh out loud and the twins were just too embarrassed to say anything. When they got to the place, Liz excused herself to the loo and left her brother on his own.

"I thought house elves didn't find things like snow ball fights funny" said Hermione, trying to light up the mood.

"You would be surprised. House elves are a little like children when it comes to playing, you just have to make them feel comfortable enough with you and confident that you would not scold them for behaving differently" explained Alex, picking up Hermione's idea.

"And what exactly were you doing in the kitchens?" asked Snape coldly. Alex could tell by his eyes that he didn't find the situation at all amusing.

"Well, after the Headmistress left, Madame Promfey checked on us once more and declared us to be fine. We stayed a while longer there, but she didn't allow us to stay and sent us to the Great Hall for lunch. My sister and I decided it would be best to stay hidden, since we hadn't discussed what our stories would be. Asking directions to the portraits we managed to find the kitchens to get something. I asked a house elf to let you know as soon as you left your rooms where you could find us. And well, the rest you already know"

"And where in the whole notion of maintaining yourselves hidden was the idea of having a food fight with the service good?" asked the Potions Professor.

"Nowhere, really. But there was no harm done. The House elves were already taking a break from their duties. And besides, if you really think about it, it's best to be on friendly terms with them, if they think you are decent and good, they are very loyal. And a loyal friend in a dangerous time weights his value in gold" said Alex simply.

"Dangerous time? What do you mean?" asked Hermione, biting her lip.

"I didn't mean it as in a fight, madam. You will forgive my arrogance, but my sister and I are very intelligent and highly educated, much more than the average 24-year-old. Especially in our specific fields. We have 24 years of knowledge that if it were to fall in the wrong hands could be devastating" explained Alex, resting his back on the chair where he was sitting. He added "House elves hear everything that happens in the castle. At the slight whisper they could tell us".

"Bravo, brother. We could make a Slytherin out of you yet" said Elizabeth, who had just come out of the loo. "Although the primary reason was indeed to have a food fight just for the sake of it, having friends in the right places always helps" she said, walking towards the living room. She sat on one of the armchairs, turned to Hermione and said "Now, I do believe we have not introduced ourselves properly. My name in Elizabeth and this is my brother Alexander"

"Yes, I knew that. Hello, my name is Hermione" she answered smiling awkwardly.

"Great. Now that we got the pleasantries out-of-the-way, we should get started on our story. As much as I like to eat in the kitchens people could notice our absence. Rumors fly very quickly, even if the school has just started"

Everyone in the room just stared at Elizabeth.

"Liz, has anyone told you how bossy you can be?" said Alex, lightening the mood.

"Every day. But it's not that. I just want to get it out of the way so we can talk about other things. I'm sure you must have a lot of questions about us and how we got here" the girl explained.

"Fair enough. Do you have something in mind?" said Hermione.

"I have a basic idea, yes. We are going to be Da-Professor's nephews who came to meet his new wife and to stay for a while here" said Liz.

"My nephews? I have never mentioned having a family" said Snape.

"You were a spy, weren't you? You had to keep some things to yourself. Besides, we cannot pass safely as anything other than a family connection. My brother's resemblance to you and my personality gives us away" explained Liz.

"So, nephews. It could work. But how do we explain the accident? And why we didn't know you?" asked Hermione.

"Surprise visit perhaps? Now that the war is over you wanted to re-establish family connections" ventured Snape.

"And we hadn't seen our Uncle since childhood, that's why he didn't recognize us. And all the security measures and the suspicion was just a repercussion from the war. We could be… your Cousin Isabel's children. She lives in a remote village in the States made up by British refugees who ran away from the wars. That could explain our British accents" said Alex, thinking hard.

"And at night you could easily mistake purple smoke by the bluish vapour that comes from using a long-distance Port Key that was enhanced" said Liz. "No, wait…"

"Not invented yet" cut Snape "but a long distance apparition could explain you losing consciousness".

"And Liz came to work with you?" dared Hermione.

"Perhaps take some of the load from his work as his assistant. It could explain why you are allowed to use the laboratories. And I just tagged along because I wanted to see England" finished Alex.

"Don't be daft, I'm not going to be his assistant" said Liz, shaking her head as if her brother were crazy.

"It makes the lie solid, sister. We need to find a reason for you to be in the dungeons" Alex said looking at his sister. He felt it within himself that she didn't like the idea and would not listen to much reason.

"Private research and need my uncle's help"

"And why would I help a girl I haven't seen in years just for the sake of being a Snape? No, the assistant position is a good idea. We are saying that and that is final" stated the Professor, imposing with his authoritative voice.

But Elizabeth was having none of it. She sighed heavily and said:

"Look, I know I'm not supposed to say things that happen in the future but I'll just have to bend this rule. We _tried_ working together once. I was 18, just out of Hogwarts. It worked for three hours until we started to argue and it got so bad we didn't speak to each other for three days. Not to mention that back home we have a good relationship and have never argued before. Ever" she looked at Snape for a while and added "I respect your work as a Potion Maker and I greatly admire your drive for perfection but our styles and techniques are not compatible. I'm much more tidy and I don't want to be cleaning after you. We cannot work together, not for the sake of peace".

"Cleaning after me? How dare you?" said Snape, getting angry.

"It's true! You are a bright professional and all, but you are too disorganized. It's maddening" replied Liz, sitting back.

"And I suppose you are such a delight to work with?" asked Snape sarcastically.

"I didn't say that. But at least I know how to properly mark each ingredient in the book…"

"In the book? What are you, an idiotic first year? We are talking about making the potions not paperwork!"

"Is that why you assign your detentions to cleaning and organizing your stores?"

"You know everything don't you, girl from the future? And do you know what happens if…"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Alex, getting up. His eyes were resolute, yet his face showed no sign of anger "You made your point, Elizabeth, there is no further need for your cheek. We will think of another solution, but you two better learn to behave and work things out"

"Behave? Who do you think you are, boy?" asked Snape furious.

"This argument has come to a close, Professor. We are distressing Madame Hermione" said Alex coolly.

They looked at Hermione who had her eyes closed and her hands clasped tight. Snape and Liz looked ashamed.

"I'm sorry for stepping out of line" said Liz first and Hermione opened her eyes again.

"It has been a long day, for all of us" agreed Snape and Liz nodded. They held each other's eyes for a while and looked away.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for a while, until Hermione spoke.

"There must be more than one lab where you can work"

"Technically speaking there are five laboratories, but only one is acceptable for working" answered Snape, calming down.

"Can they be refashioned? Made fit for use?" asked Alex.

"You could, but it would take time, not to mention money" said Snape.

"But if we could find the money, then Liz could work in that one. No one but us would know she has her own private lab. It could work" stated Alex and everyone nodded.

"Before you say anything I just wanted to say that with Alex we'll find a way to pay for this. I don't know how much it will all cost, but we cannot affect your savings" said Liz.

"And how do you plan on getting the money?" asked Hermione.

"Well… we could use a few resources at our disposal" answered Liz smiling cheekily at his brother. Alex frowned, not understanding the look she was giving him. She added "We do have 24 years of information that other people do not have… like Quidditch results"

"Liz, no! Gambling? It's unethical!" exclaimed Alex, getting up from his seat to move away from his sister.

"Alex, what is the point of remembering all the results from every match of the Green Goblins since they started playing if you can't use it to your own benefit? I'm not saying we gamble an outrageous amount of money. That would rouse suspicions, I'm saying just enough to buy supplies and live without bothering them all the time" said Liz, getting up to join her brother.

"You know all their results? From every game they've played?" asked Hermione, surprised.

"My brother has an excellent memory. Trust me, excellent. To him it wasn't such a great feat" explained Liz, turning to Hermione. Looking back to her brother she added "I wouldn't be asking this of you if I didn't know any other way to pay for everything. Even if we both work here as assistants we couldn't be able to afford this"

Alex looked at her for a while, thinking and calculating. He sighed in defeat and agreed to the idea.

"Fine, I'll do it. But what happened to your way of making money back at school?"

"It would be harder to do it without drawing attention to ourselves. Besides, it hasn't been invented yet" answered Liz, moving towards her chair again.

"Were you in Slytherin?" asked Snape, looking at Liz. The girl grinned and nodded. "Alcohol?" he asked her and she smiled broadly.

"You got me there. I discovered a special sort of brew that is cheaper to make than the normal way. It was kept a secret for a while until I perfected the formula and then the word spread out to other older students. Hangover-less alcohol profits brilliantly if you know how to do it" she explained "but since I haven't invented it in this time, I can't sell it"

"I thought that alcohol wasn't allowed in school. When did that change?" asked Hermione, confused.

"It didn't" said Alex. "But the Black Market still exists if you are brave enough to risk it"

"Hogwarts has a Black Market?" asked Hermione again, more confused and the three other people in the room looked at her surprised.

"Of course" said Snape "usually is homework and the occasional tests results but there has been cases of alcohol and drugs being sold. I'm surprised you didn't get caught"

"I was careful not to leave any evidence. Apart from my advanced knowledge of potions no one could accuse me of anything. And if they did, well, I am a Snape" answered Liz shrugging her shoulders.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hermione,

"Never mind that now, we have more important issues to discuss" cut Snape as Liz was opening her mouth to answer. "Do you have any ideas on where to start with your potion? What triggered the accident?"

Elizabeth and Alex looked at each other sadly. It was Alex who spoke:

"We talked about it in the Infirmary and there is a detail that could explain out time travel, but honestly it's very small. In any case it's our only lead"

"My potion used a small amount of Mt Everest sand. It's a rare ingredient and probably the most expensive in the potion, mostly because it's one of the few elements that can be bought that has a time essence" explained Liz.

"Mt Everest sand is used in Time Turners, that's why they are so rare" said Hermione and they all looked at her in surprise. "'Reynold's Guide to Time', anyone? Well, it says there that about 400 years ago there was this potions maker from Nepal who experimented with this rare dust that could only be found in Mt Everest. He saw that the dust had a powerful regenerative ability, but only after a lot of trial and errors he saw that it wasn't regeneration, it was time travel. So, from this, he tried to make a potion that could make limbs grow back or to stop degenerative diseases using time. Accidentally, though, he created Time Turners. But when he saw the potential damage his creation could make, he destroyed all of his notes and obliviated himself, so the secret would be lost" she explained.

"You don't happen to have that book still, do you?" asked Liz and Hermione smiled.

"There is a copy in the Library. You may want to check Gareth Wood's 'Forward and Back Again' too, he mentions many other ways of travelling in time" answered Hermione.

"That's my cue!" said Alex, walking towards the door. He stopped just by the entrance and turned around "the Library is still in the East wing on the first floor, right?"

"Third floor, really. And you need a teacher's permit, those books are in the Restricted Section" said Hermione.

"I'll go with you two in case you get lost" said Snape, standing up. He was rather surprised at how quickly everything had moved along and was suspicious.

"Great. It would be nice for once not having to do the counter-curse for every book I want to check in that section" said Liz, also standing up.

"Would you go with us, Madame Hermione? We can turn it into a tour of the place" asked Alex and Hermione nodded.

"Why do you call me that?" she asked, walking towards the door.

"Because calling you just Hermione its weird for me and I expect 'Mum' it's weird for you. Same as the Professor" he explained opening the door for everyone to leave.

"Exploring time!" he shouted merrily as he closed the door.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I made an effort to get this chapter up sooner than expected, so I hope you guys like it. I also realize this chapter was purely conversation, so I'm just going to say that don't worry, for the next one we will have some action as well. **

**Having that said, stay tuned and have a great weekend.**

**PD: I'll do my best but you guys can expect the next chapter by next week.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

"Severus, I'm so glad you could make it. Come, sit down, make yourself comfortable" said McGonagall as Snape walked into her office.

It was strange seeing the place Dumbledore had used for so many years so altered. The former Headmaster had plenty of diverse trinkets and devices that only he would know how to use, making this a very interesting office that invited to be curious. The Headmistress, however, was into a more cozy atmosphere. Instead of trinkets she had books, soft armchairs and colorful drapes. The place was no longer as cold, but warm thanks to the roaring fire in the fireplace. And the smell had changed too. If Albus had a weakness for those idiotic lemon drops, Minerva had it for biscuits. The entire office smelled like a bakery.

Seeing her behind her desk reminded him a little of that horrible past year when he sat there. He didn't bother much with decoration, since he avoided being in that office. He couldn't stand all those portraits looking at him, their remarks and cold and disapproving looks. Even Dumbledore's presence there brought him no comfort. He thought for a while that his portrait would ease his pains and that the old man would give him some sort of personal guidance, but he had hoped in vain. No help ever came from the painting. Only instructions.

He never said it, but he was extremely glad when McGonagall took over the Headmaster position. Although why she offered him his teaching position again was beyond him.

Snape sat in one of the chairs facing the desk and waited patiently as the woman poured him some tea in a cup.

"So, a whole week as come and passed since the twins arrived. How has it been?" she asked him and Snape felt like he would give the greatest sigh no one ever heard from him.

How had that long and awful week been? Horrible, tense, agitated, uncomfortable, exhausting, and to add to all of it: terrifying.

Because Snape had thought it prudent to eavesdrop them to confirm who they said they were. And though everything was unmistakeably true, listening behind doors had the consequence of learning things he really didn't want to know about the future. Like:

The twins had more siblings (and one of them was a Hufflepuff). Snape still had nightmares because of that.

He was the one who cooked breakfast and worse... he sometimes woke Hermione up by taking her some breakfast with a tray!

He taught Liz how to do potions with songs he made up. They were children's songs. She was six. Apparently, Hermione had not been amused and they had to keep it a secret.

But most of all, he was shocked at the level of familiarity the twins had with the muggle world. At times, it was hard to remember that they were in wizards at all by the way they spoke. Snape couldn't help but to wonder why. He didn't have any inclinations of ever becoming close with that world again, and as far as he knew Hermione didn't either (although he could be wrong). But he had come to realize that the twins went to muggle primary school before entering Hogwarts and that Liz had joined a muggle University to study Chemistry (which apparently is the muggle version of Potion Making).

In any case, he had learned not to eavesdrop on them again.

_'But not everything I learned was bad' _he thought. No, not everything.

By the way the twins spoke, their nostalgia and sadness at the state of his current marriage, Snape could tell they came from a happy home and that Hermione and himself got along well. He didn't know the details, but sometimes the twins would speak of outings and holidays they had as a family and what a great time they had and that gave him hope.

Also, they spoke of how Hermione was a different woman. Alex said, rather proudly, that his mother was a "powerhouse of a woman" and how she was "one of the most influential witch of the century". It seems that Hermione at some point regained her fighting spirit and that pleased Snape very much. The girl now had a weak personality and he didn't want a woman like that raising up his children.

But even as he was happy for it, there was something the twins said that echoed in his mind and could not let it go. It was just a thought, but his instincts were screaming for him to investigate on it. He believed that the twins knew who the traitor was, the person who had sold Hermione to the Death Eaters.

"Severus?" asked Minerva softly, disrupting his chain of thoughts.

"Yes, I was just thinking about how to answer that" he said, kicking himself mentally for sounding so out of character. Although the older woman sometimes could drive him up the wall, after so many years of knowing her she had become one of the women he respected the most, to a point where he could sometimes drop his guard around her.

"It is quite overwhelming, I must agree. They are both extraordinary young ones. Such brilliance, such education! And so well-mannered too. I declare, in all my years I have never met a young man of Alex's age that behaved so naturally like a gentleman. And Liz is quite remarkable too" said McGonagall and Snape couldn't help but agree.

"Yes, remarkable is the word" he said.

'_And overwhelming doesn't begin to cover what this week has been like' _he thought, just thinking about the twins.

Because the more time he spent with them, the more frightened he was about parenting. Hermione's pregnancy was still fresh in his head and with the twins arrival, fatherhood thoughts were always in his mind. He didn't know anything about being a father and honestly he had no good reference from his own father since the only good memory he had of him was him leaving. So Snape couldn't help but wonder how did those two grow up to be so confident and... complete. He was dying to ask if Hermione had been the one to raise them so properly and if he had been a good parent, but he couldn't find the courage to ask.

What Minerva had said about them was right. They were both brilliant, to the point that Snape would sometimes feel a bit ignorant. It was hard to find young people of that age who could present their opinions with so many arguments. The four of them often sat in their living room in the evenings and would stay there for hours discussing different topics ranging from politics to modern mediwizardry. It had been many years since he had such intelligent conversations. Both of them were highly knowledgeable in plenty of subjects.

"Alex looks a lot like you, but Liz has your character" said Minerva, looking at him.

"Yes, the boy possess certain features of the Snape family. And so does Elizabeth" he concurred.

"Ah, yes. The Snape Family. It has been many years since I've heard you talk about them" stated Minerva, staring into his eyes.

"What about it?"

"You have not been in contact with other Snapes in a long time, haven't you Severus?. Your family has always intrigued me, with their rules and traditions, they..."

"I know that, Minerva" said Snape cutting her off, though truth be told, she had a point. He had kept his distance with his family for so long that he had forgotten what it was like to be around them. Even the twins could tell, by his lack of familiarity with certain things they did that was natural for them. It made him think whether he reconciled with his uncles and cousins in the future or if he just taught the twins the same values and life-rules the Snape family followed. He decided to inquire about that later, and whether they knew about the 'Book' or not.

"Severus, I know this is a sensitive topic for you, but I just want you to think about it. Does your mother know about Hermione?" asked the older woman and Snape blinked in astonishment. Why would she want to talk about it? '_The woman is becoming more meddlesome than Dumbledore himself'_ he thought as he tried to control himself from answering too harshly. He resolved that the conversation would remain in personal topics so it was better to leave.

"That, Headmistress, is private" he said, standing up. He saw the former Transfiguration teacher widen her eyes at the change of her name, but quickly composed herself.

"Severus, there is no need to get like that. You know how I still stay in touch with Eileen. I just don't know how I could keep a secret like that from her. Would you really want your mother to find out that she is going to have grandchildren through me?" she asked and Snape got angry.

"My mother made her choice. She will have nothing to do with any of my offspring or me. Tell her if you wish, I don't care" he said coldly.

"Of course you care. Why else would part of your salary still go to her? She is your mother, Severus, and she misses you. The war is over now and this is a time for healing, to close old wounds. You haven't spoken in fifteen years. When does it stop?" she asked him, her voice taking a pleading tone.

"Ask her. She knows but probably she is too ashamed to tell you why"

"You made her choose between a life of loneliness and heartbreak and a life with love" said Minerva and Snape chuckled.

"If that is what she believes then we will never speak again. But like I said, this is a personal subject"

"You are right, I said what I wanted to say about that and will say no more on the matter. Now, returning to what we were talking before, how is your life faring with your son and daughter? What does Hermione feel about them?"

'_Now that is a question' _he thought, sitting back down. What does Hermione feel about them? He had heard her laugh many times over the past seven days. The moments when she behaved more like her old self were more frequent and she no longer cracked under the slightest stress (although that last was thanks to Alexander invoking an old Snape tradition to avoid quarreling: 'if you can't say it in a rhyme, don't say it at all'). Now Hermione just giggled every time Elizabeth and him started to arguing (apparently they sounded like a 'Shakespeare', whatever ever that was). Even if he didn't know her inner thoughts, at least he knew that she liked them and felt comfortable with them.

On how he was faring? It depends. With Elizabeth, even though they argued frequently they had a very similar character, like no one he had ever encountered. Like him, she was cold to strangers outside of their private rooms, hated dunderheads who came barging into his classroom speaking loudly about silly things and she also didn't approve of speaking at all while working (she too could get so concentrated in her potions that often Alexander had to go and remind her of the hour so she could sleep and eat). But most of all, they agreed on the rare habit of not talking until after breakfast, which, was a huge relieve.

Alexander on the other hand was quite unlike his sister. He was loud, very social and cheerful. He enjoyed helping other people and he was becoming very quickly into a popular person in the school. But even as he thought that they had nothing in common he felt very comfortable around the boy. He transmitted his energy to people around him but in a way that Snape didn't find it annoying. And, he could strike a very interesting conversation out of the blue, so Snape could always look forward to that.

"I'm quite well, thank you. And Hermione seems to enjoy their company" he answered.

"Yes, she does seem more herself lately. I heard her birthday was going to be soon, do you have any plans?"

Snape froze. What? Her birthday? Snape couldn't remember that last time he cared for any birthday. If his memory served him correctly, it was in September 17th, a week from today. What was he supposed to do?

"I don't think Hermione will expect you to throw her a party, Severus. But a gift and maybe taking her to dinner somewhere nice could do it" said the older woman, sensing his distress.

'_Or, I could just ask the twins' _he thought, '_they may have an idea of what I did for her birthday'. _He didn't care if it was cheating. And if they didn't know, they could have a better idea of what she would like better than him. In any case, he could think of something before asking them... Snape opened his eyes as an idea suddenly struck.

"I better get going, Minerva, thank you for the tea" he said, standing up. They said goodbye and he left very quickly.

He had plans to do.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay, I really have no excuse so I'm not going to lie. I am, however, just going to say "better late than ever"! **

**So, I hope you like it and keep tuned!**

**Ps: I made a mistake with the year they are in, so just to avoid confusions:**

**-the twins are 23 years old.**

**-the story is set in September, a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts (May 1998)**


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